NAWBO National - Leadership Academy

NAWBO Leadership Academy
Winter 2022

Our NAWBO members are busy women entrepreneurs who not only run their own businesses, but many are also in leadership positions in their local NAWBO chapters. They care who supports their community of women business owners through NAWBO. They want to do business with these businesses; and refer others to do the same. That’s why you won’t want to miss the opportunity to personally connect with these women business owners and leaders by sponsoring and participating in the NAWBO Leadership Academy in January.

Joy Mason

Joy E. Mason is a successful business owner and dynamic speaker from Indiana. Joy is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Strategist who worked at Eli Lilly for most of her career in Quality leadership roles. After retiring in 2017, Joy established Optimist Business Solutions, a training and consulting firm that helps organizations optimize results by leveraging six sigma and lean strategies. She is currently applying organizational change management and continuous improvement strategies to enhance DEI effectiveness. Joy’s DEI consulting focuses on diversity data and equitable/inclusive systems. Joy wrote: 5 Steps to Sustainable Solutions for Women in Business in 2019, and she recently launched an academy to certify Black Women in six sigma to drive community and workforce solutions across business, education, and non-profit sectors.

Sherri McManus

Chief Operating Officer

Sherri McManus has Master's in Organizational Management, and 19 years in management, training, teaching, and coaching. She has skilled and seasoned experience with personal and professional development. Sherri is a Certified Executive Leadership Coach and Corporate Trainer and is instrumental in connecting The Lou Everett Group to you and your personal and professional needs. She is also a Certified Trainer in the DISC Method of human behavior analysis. One of Sherri’s passions is telling her personal and inspirational near-death story on the result of poor leadership in hopes of positively impacting the Leadership landscape. Sherri's passion is seeing that 'ah-ha' moment in the eyes of those she trains and coaches - truly Transforming Today’s Leaders!

Jeanette M. Willis

Owner, Advantage Professional Training, Inc; Executive Director, Advantage Adoptions - OCOC

Experience: 25+ years in non-profit management and adoption services; National speaker and presenter Education: BS, Southern University, Baton Rouge, La.; US Army retired Certifications: Licensed Child Placing Agency Administrator, Nonprofit Leadership and Management, Special Needs Adoption, and PRIDE Train-the-Trainer. Family: Husband, Joel (25 years strong); biological, adoptive and kinship parents to four children and one grandchild. Interests: Jeanette loves God, family, helping others, music and singing! She recognizes that only God loves her singing!